Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jacopo Troisi, Steven J. K. Symes, Martina Lombardi, Pierpaolo Cavallo, Angelo Colucci, Giovanni Scala, David C. Adair, Maurizio Guida, Sean M. Richards
Summary: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a condition that leads to high neonatal mortality and morbidity. The mechanisms behind FGR are not fully understood. In this study, metabolites were extracted from placentas of 493 non-complicated pregnancies using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that certain metabolites were significantly different in placentas of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) newborns compared to non-LBW and adequate for gestational age (AGA) newborns. These findings indicate that metabolic pathways related to hypoxia response, amino acid uptake, and inflammation play a role in FGR.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Kimmie K. Lyderik, Esben Ostrup, Thomas S. Bruun, Charlotte Amdi, Anja Strathe
Summary: The study investigates fetal development and factors affecting it in hyper-prolific sows. It finds that fetal survival rate is consistent across gestational days and fetal weight is reduced in intrauterine positions near the cervix. Fetal growth is influenced by litter size, placental weight and area, and umbilical cord length, with small fetuses characterized by lower placental weight and area and shorter umbilical cords.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ismaela Maria Ferreira de Melo, Cintia Giselle Martins Ferreira, Erique Ricardo Alves, Carolline Guimaraes D'Assuncao, Clovis Jose Cavalcanti Lapa Neto, Yuri Mateus Lima de Albuquerque, Valeria Wanderley Teixeira, Alvaro Aguiar Coelho Teixeira
Summary: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) promotes changes in the placenta and fetuses, but melatonin can prevent these effects.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yingfen Ying, Peipei Pan, Cheng Zou, Yiyan Wang, Yunbing Tang, Xiaohong Hou, Yang Li, Qiang Xu, Liben Lin, Jieqiang Lu, Ren-shan Ge
Summary: This study found that TEB severely damages the structure and function of the placenta in pregnant rats, leading to placental hypertrophy, low birth weight, and feminization of male fetuses.
Review
Microbiology
Caroline Lin Lin Chua, Sebastian Kah Ming Khoo, Jun Long Ernest Ong, Gaurav Kumar Ramireddi, Tsin Wen Yeo, Andrew Teo
Summary: Malaria during pregnancy can lead to the development of placental malaria, which may impair placental development and function, ultimately causing placental insufficiency, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm delivery and low birth weight.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carole Goumy, Lauren Veronese, Rodrigue Stamm, Quentin Domas, Kamil Hadjab, Denis Gallot, Helene Laurichesse, Amelie Delabaere, Laetitia Gouas, Gaelle Salaun, Celine Richard, Philippe Vago, Andrei Tchirkov
Summary: This study found that telomere shortening is associated with intrauterine growth retardation and congenital malformations. The severity of the malformations correlates with the degree of telomere shortening. Telomere measurement in fetal samples could serve as a predictive marker of pathological development.
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Anat Shmueli, Liat Mor, Ophir Blickstein, Rinat Sela, Eran Weiner, Noa Gonen, Letizia Schreiber, Michal Levy
Summary: Late fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with mild growth restriction and normal or mild abnormal doppler flows. Abnormal cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) in late FGR is reflected in placental vascular malperfusion lesions, resulting in adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Todd M. Everson, Marta Vives-Usano, Emie Seyve, Andres Cardenas, Marina Lacasana, Jeffrey M. Craig, Corina Lesseur, Emily R. Baker, Nora Fernandez-Jimenez, Barbara Heude, Patrice Perron, Beatriz Gonzalez-Alzaga, Jane Halliday, Maya A. Deyssenroth, Margaret R. Karagas, Carmen Iniguez, Luigi Bouchard, Pedro Carmona-Saez, Yuk J. Loke, Ke Hao, Thalia Belmonte, Marie A. Charles, Jordi Martorell-Marugan, Evelyne Muggli, Jia Chen, Mariana F. Fernandez, Jorg Tost, Antonio Gomez-Martin, Stephanie J. London, Jordi Sunyer, Carmen J. Marsit, Johanna Lepeule, Marie-France Hivert, Mariona Bustamante
Summary: Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with disrupted placental functions and poor birth outcomes, as reflected in the placental epigenome. The study identified specific CpGs related to maternal smoking during pregnancy, with implications for environmental response genes, growth-factor signaling, and inflammation in placental function. The research highlights the links between placental DNA methylation, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and poor birth outcomes, providing insight into the mechanisms by which smoking affects placental function and fetal growth.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Deirdre Zander-Fox, Lauren Villarosa, Nicole O. McPherson
Summary: The study highlights the impact of variations in HSA lipid composition in different commercial human embryo culture mediums on embryo quality, implantation, and fetal outcomes, underscoring the importance of balance and optimal ratios of lipids for embryo and fetal development.
JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
April D. Adams, Victoria Hoffmann, Laura Koehly, Faycal Guedj, Diana W. Bianchi
Summary: The Ts65Dn mouse model showed the largest differences in fetal growth, brain development, and placental development compared to euploid embryos. The Dp(16)1/Yey mouse model did not impact fetal growth based on genotype, but differences were observed in brain and placental development. The Ts1Cje mouse model did not show significant associations between genotype and fetal growth, brain development, or placental development. Congenital anomalies were primarily observed in trisomic embryos in all three mouse models of Down syndrome.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Cynthia Schreiner, Theresa L. Powell, Claire Palmer, Thomas Jansson
Summary: This study examines the proteins in the umbilical vein and artery of preterm infants and highlights the importance of placental factors in fetal organ development. The findings suggest that the secretion of certain proteins from the placenta decreases after birth, potentially affecting brain and lung development.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biology
Yuping Zhou, Baoxia Gu, Geraldine Brichant, Jay Prakash Singh, Huan Yang, Hao Chang, Yanding Zhao, Chao Cheng, Zhong-Wu Liu, Myles H. Alderman, Lingeng Lu, Xiaoyong Yang, Xiao-Bing Gao, Hugh S. Taylor
Summary: A study found that mice offspring exposed to estriol (E-3) during pregnancy had increased fertility and better pregnancy outcomes. These offspring also showed decreased anxiety and increased exploratory behavior. E-3 acts on estrogen receptors, recruiting epigenetic modifiers to alter gene expression and affect organ development and brain function.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gurman Kaur, Caroline B. M. Porter, Orr Ashenberg, Jack Lee, Samantha J. Riesenfeld, Matan Hofree, Maria Aggelakopoulou, Ayshwarya Subramanian, Subita Balaram Kuttikkatte, Kathrine E. Attfield, Christiane A. E. Desel, Jessica L. Davies, Hayley G. Evans, Inbal Avraham-Davidi, Lan T. Nguyen, Danielle A. Dionne, Anna E. Neumann, Lise Torp Jensen, Thomas R. Barber, Elizabeth Soilleux, Mary Carrington, Gil McVean, Orit Rozenblatt-Rosen, Aviv Regev, Lars Fugger
Summary: This study demonstrates that the interaction between maternal KIR2DL1 and paternal HLA-C*0501 leads to fetal growth restriction in a humanized mouse model. The authors show that this interaction affects uterine arterial remodeling and uterine NK cell function, leading to altered transcriptional expression and intercellular communication at the maternal-fetal interface.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Kirstine Baadsgaard, Ditte N. Hansen, David A. Peters, Jens B. Frokjaer, Marianne Sinding, Anne Sorensen
Summary: This study aimed to describe T2* weighted MRI in selected fetal organs in normal pregnancies, and investigate the correlation between fetal organ T2* and placental T2*, birthweight deviation, and redistribution of fetal blood flow. The results showed a negative correlation between fetal organ T2* and gestational age in normal birthweight pregnancies. There was a significant correlation between fetal organ T2* z-score and birthweight group in the fetal heart, kidney, lung, and spleen. Additionally, fetal organ T2* was positively correlated with placental function outcomes and showed a significant correlation with fetal blood flow redistribution in the fetal heart, kidneys, and spleen.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Wen-Juan Wang, Rong Huang, Tao Zheng, Qinwen Du, Meng-Nan Yang, Ya-Jie Xu, Xin Liu, Min-Yi Tao, Hua He, Fang Fang, Fei Li, Jian-Gao Fan, Jun Zhang, Laurent Briollais, Fengxiu Ouyang, Zhong-Cheng Luo
Summary: This study found that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with DNA methylation changes in placental genes, but these changes are not correlated with metabolic health biomarkers in cord blood. Eleven differentially methylated genes were identified to be relevant to fetal growth.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
